


At the End of the Night

by Marasa



Series: Dream Eater [12]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Festival, Christmas Lights, Cuddling, Cute, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Snowball Fight, Soft Boys, TOPFL Christmas Challenge, rot your teeth, run in with the law
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 12:21:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13123623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marasa/pseuds/Marasa
Summary: Snow falls, Christmas lights glimmer, the aromatic scent of rich spices and the sound of light laughter waft through the air.Beside upstanding citizens, five criminals and one other-worldly spirit are here to enjoy the festivities as well.





	At the End of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays, everyone!

Snow falls, Christmas lights glimmer, the aromatic scent of rich spices and the sound of light laughter waft through the air- tonight’s excursion is just another tradition for Josh and his friends, apparently.

It's a Christmas Festival of sorts on a snowy stretch of land, semi-crowded at eleven at night. A community event, seems like, with families and friends of surrounding neighborhoods all congregating here to enjoy food and intricate Christmas lights.

Beside upstanding citizens, five criminals and one other-worldly spirit are here to enjoy the festivities as well.

They're all wearing heavy jackets and boots and other winter gear that will protect them from the Ohio cold. Tyler sports Josh’s gray beanie, given to him as Josh changed his black plugs out before they left the house to ones that depicted matching Christmas trees in the centers.

“You're gonna be cold,” Tyler said as he sat on the bathroom counter in front of the blue-haired man.

“Wearing a beanie would only diminish my Christmas spirit because then you wouldn't be able to see my holiday plugs, duh,” Josh had said as he slipped in his new earrings.

Tyler had rolled his eyes but couldn't help but compliment Josh on how adorable he displayed his Christmas spirit.

Then Josh was the one calling Tyler adorable as he pecked his lips.

Everyone around them is wearing thick gloves to protect their hands from the biting cold and the snowflakes that flurry down upon them, but Josh and Tyler’s are left uncovered as they hold hands, fingers intertwined.

Their friends roll their eyes and call them dumb for refusing to put their gloves on, but what they do not understand and what Tyler and Josh do, is that it's awfully hard to feel the warmth of your lover’s hand under your chapped lips through the barrier of a glove.

Their fingers fit so perfectly together that Tyler can't help but continuously bring Josh’s hand up to kiss at his frigid knuckles, the dry back of his hand, the soft curve of his thumb, his blunt fingernails.

Holding hands is intimate closeness in one of its most basic forms and it's just the next step in whatever this gentle, wonderful, exciting thing they have together.

Josh chuckles warmly down at the spirit, kissing Tyler’s temple as Tyler kisses Josh’s index finger for the twentieth time in the past half-hour.

It’s Christmas Eve and the night is wonderful. Everyone is having fun and they’re all staying warm and the moon and stars are shining but not as brightly as the multi-colored lights all around them.

On either side of the snowy walkway the six of them shuffle down, there are large light displays glowing and blinking to create individual scenes of Christmas festivities.

Lights flash on and off the create the illusion of an elf sliding down a slide and throwing a gift into a glowing red sleigh. Another shows a reindeer leaping onto and off of a small little gingerbread house.

“Too bad reindeer don't exist,” Mark murmurs dejectedly into the section of his scarf by his mouth as they all stop and stand in front of the display. “They're so kickass.”

Hayley turns to him, brow furrowed. “Mark, they exist.”

Mark chuckles. “Yeah, I wish.”

“No, they really exist,” Jordan says. “Reindeer exist. They're actual animals.”

“They don't exist.”

“Yeah they do.”

“Shut up, they don’t.”  
  
“They do!”

“You're fucking stupid! They don’t!”

“There are children here!” Michael growls at the three that are cussing and getting into it. They're pretty sure this is the fifth time he's yelled at them thus far.

“You three-” Mark points at the three in question, “shut up and stop ruining this.”

“And you two-” Michael turns to the two men holding hands standing innocently on the side.

They blink back at him.

“You're, uh, okay. Keep doing what you're doing.”

The pair smile and give him a thumbs up with the hands that are not holding the other’s.

Josh’s thumb is consistent across Tyler’s knuckles, melting the snowflakes that fall on him before he has a chance to feel the cold. Tyler leans against his shoulder and looks up at him from under his beanie.

“Hm?” Josh smiles.

“Like your earrings.” Tyler’s mumbling is muffled against the sleeve of Josh’s jacket.

“I like you,” Josh says without missing a beat.

“You're cheesy,” Tyler says but blushes anyway.

There's still some bickering from their friends as they pass some other displays (‘ _So what stupid shit are you gonna say now? Talking snowmen are real too?’ ‘Reindeer are fucking real!’ ‘You're so fucking stupid!’ ‘STOP FUCKING CUSSING!_ ’) but they're having a good time.

Josh nuzzles at Tyler’s temple as Tyler continues to press kisses to Josh’s wrist and knuckles while they walk past a large organization of lights shaped like a Christmas tree.

Pretty much all the light displays are cute and pretty and the joy of the winter holiday brings their hearts to grow warm.

“Are you having a good time?” Josh asks as they stop in front of a display of two polar bears hugging. He pulls back from the side of Tyler’s head but not before pressing a kiss to his earlobe.

“Of course,” Tyler says with a smile. “I love the Christmas season, I love the lights, I love...love…”

They look deep in each other’s eyes. There’s care in their gazes but also hesitance. They're not even dating, not really. It's not official and such a confession that is right on the tip of Tyler’s tongue is serious.

Tyler swallows roughly, eyes searching Josh’s for the strength he needs.

“I love...spending time with all of you. I'm having a lot of fun, thank you.”

They both give shaky smiles as Tyler so obviously chickens out. Neither of them address it.

Michael tries to keep them in line as they continue forward, shooting friendly smiles at passing families and murmurs of ‘ _I’m sorry, happy holidays, I apologize for them_.’

For some reason, they're in rare form tonight.

Probably the fact that it's Christmas Eve is making them all a little loud and silly or maybe it's the excess of Redbull they had been drinking all day.

Hayley shoves Mark a little bit before he tries to jump on Jordan’s back, which causes Jordan to stumble forward and fall mostly against Michael’s back.

“Act like you've been out of the house before, you hooligans!” Michael whisper-shouts to them.

They sniff and shrug in response and complain about how there's no smoking or snowball fighting allowed on the premises- the sign at the front says so.

They continue down the path past twelve grand displays, each of them reflective of one of the twelve days of Christmas. There's glowing swans that flutter their wings and huge gold rings that Hayley jokes about climbing up and lords a leaping in beige-lit pants that have Mark saying loudly, “Dude, they actually outlined their fucking bulges!”

Michael actually smacks the back of his head at that one.

The halfway point is marked by a display of a rotund man in red with a white beard of white lights standing among many presents. The flashing lights makes it look like he's waving to them.

“Santa isn't real,” Mark spits matter of fact even though no one was arguing with him.

A few kids passing by give him worried looks.

“Shut. Up.” Hayley growls.

“You're the worst, Mark,” Jordan says with a shove of his shoulder against the other man’s.

Michael looks ready to yell at them again but then Tyler is speaking up.

“Santa isn't real?” Tyler says suddenly. “Sure he is.”

They all turn to him.

“Well...was,” Tyler continues with a shrug. “He was a charitable man, now recognized as a saint. San Nicolas…Sinterklaas…Papai Noel.”

They look back to where iconic figure glows and waves, apples of his cheeks sparkling with red light.

“Santa, the big man himself,” Josh says.

“‘ _Santa_.’” Tyler smiles. “Lo conozco por otros nombres.”

The spirit says it easily, as if he's not even thinking about it. Josh’s eyebrows raise.

“W-What?” Josh sounds shocked. “I didn't know you could speak other languages.”

Tyler's gaze doesn't shift from the blinking lights as he murmurs distractedly, “Nisi parum.”

Then, Josh is laughing and turning him a little so he can lean down to lock their lips together. They're both smiling, Tyler’s free hand coming up to hold his cheek in pleasant surprise.

“You’re so amazing, Tyler,” Josh says against his lips when he finally pulls back. “God, you're- _wow_.”

Tyler smiles shyly. He looks up at the other man, eyes twinkling red and orange and blue and purple and green with the lights that shine all around them.

Josh brushes a light kiss against his lips again with a murmur of how beautiful and absolutely breathtaking he is.

After the display of Santa, the path they're on forks. The right side leads to the rest of the light displays while the left leads to a pop up marketplace.

The booths that line the path to the left are all selling something different: candies, cookies, nuts, candles, paintings, mittens, even bratwurst and chili cheese fries and hot cocoa.

Ever sensitive of smell, Tyler’s nose twitches as he catches the scent of something sweet but robust, sugar and cinnamon and apple.

The spirit squeezes Josh’s hand. “Mm, what's that?”

“Hm? Oh, hot apple cider, I think,” Josh says. He looks at the other man. “You want some?”

Tyler doesn't want to be a burden or have Josh wasting money on him, so all he says is, “N-No. Just...smells really good.”

Josh smiles. “C’mon, it's not a problem; I'll get you some.”

The rest of the group is more than fine with the decision. They're all a little peckish, saying how they'll share some bratwurst and maybe some glüwein.

The other three go one way and Josh and Tyler go another. The girl behind the counter of the hot cider booth looks kinda cool and punky with heavy eye makeup and a brilliant smile.

“Hi! What can I get for you?”

Josh pulls out his wallet. “Just one hot apple cider, please.”

She fills up a plastic cup with a tank of steaming liquid and wraps it in a napkin to act as a barrier from the heat. She holds it out to Josh.

“Oh, it's for him,” Josh nods to Tyler as he juggles with a few bills of cash.

She smiles and shifts over to hand it to Tyler.

“You and your boyfriend are very cute,” she whispers to him as Tyler takes the cup.

Both of them blush but don't say anything. They had gone on a couple more dates m but Josh had never asked him that question.

 _Boyfriend_.

That word sounds so good to Tyler’s ears and he wishes so much that it were true.

“Love your contacts by the way,” she says sweetly as she gives them their change.

Tyler whispers a thank you. They leave feeling flustered and bashful.

Josh’s thumb stroking his knuckles is the only thing that calms spirit.

“Alright, where are the idiots?” Josh says.

They look down the aisle of marketplace booths and see their roommates still yelling and lightly pushing each other in the bratwurst line as the families around them give them nasty looks.

“Let's go,” Josh sighs.

“We’re not gonna wait?”

“Fuck ‘em.”

They continue back on the snowy path lined with lights. Their walk is absent of annoying chatter and is instead filled with the soft crunch of snow and comfortable silence.

“Sorry they're so annoying,” Josh says. “Thought this would be a fun, Christmas-y, kinda romantic thing but all they've been doing is fighting.”

Tyler laughs. “It's okay, Josh. I'm having a good time. It's very fun. And Christmas-y.” Tyler brings their linked fingers up again and kisses Josh’s thumb. “And very romantic.”

There might be people all around them, but they feel like they're all alone on their own planet of sparkling lights and aromatic drinks and chapped lips.

Tyler takes a sip of his hot cider. His eyes go wide, he hums.

“Good?” Josh says with a laugh.

Tyler hums enthusiastically and nods. He holds the cup up to Josh’s lips so he can take a sip too.

“Mm, that is good,” Josh says, lips wet with the stuff.

Tyler smiles and reaches up to wipe a heavy drop of cider from the man’s bottom lip. Josh is still, lips parted as he lets Tyler move against him.

His gaze is focused on the spirit as he brings his finger from Josh’s lip to his own mouth. Tyler shyly sucks the drop of cider clinging to his finger into his own mouth.

Josh’s cheeks go red.

Suddenly, something hits Tyler’s side and explodes upon impact into a cloud of ice. Both men jump, Josh instinctively taking a step in front of Tyler to protect him from any other unknown projectiles.

“Hey!”

They turn to the sound of the voice.

There's mustard on the corner of Hayley's mouth, there's some on Jordan’s chin. Michael holds two half-eaten bratwurst in each hand while Mark points violently right at them.

Other families are beginning to whisper and look at them as they walk slowly past. They look shocked, unsure at what they perceive to be an actual altercation and not some game.

“You two, no-good, Scrooge-lookin’, Grinch-smellin’ traitors left us behind and went back to looking’ at lights!” Mark narrows his eyes. “Where’s your Christmas spirit?! Some friends you are.”

The pair catch the movement of a shy drip of water falling from Mark’s hand at his side. A cold sweat breaks over the both of them as they realize that playful look in the others’ eyes and what they're about to do.

If there is any bad place to get into their weird, dramatic characters, this is it. This is a family place, a place of quiet family time and the like.

This is no place for them to act foolish like they usually do and the signs at the front distinctly say to not participate in such activities as this, but then a snowball flies from Mark’s hand and hits Josh right in the face.

“Haha!” Jordan cackles.

Tyler watches with wide eyes as Josh wipes the snow from his face. Underneath watery ice, a wind-bitten red, mischievous expression awaits.

Josh turns to the spirit. “Shall we embark in battle?”

Tyler looks up at him and then his lips curl into a dangerous grin. “As long as we're fighting together.”

“There's no other way I'd ever fight.”

Tyler throws his cider into a trashcan on the side of the path. Their friends raise an eyebrow in unison. The pair reach down and gather a handful of snow right there on the side of the path and pack it in their bare hands.

The minute the balls of ice are formed, the other three are booking it off the trail.

Michael pauses. He looks back and forth between them before sighing, defeated. He then runs after his friends with the food in each of his hands, therefore joining their game and resigning from trying to get them to behave.

Tyler and Josh shove past displays of snowmen and angels and run full speed into the snowy field outside of the trails on the outskirts of the expansive property. The snow is soft and untouched out here, nothing but hot breath and stuttered laughter peppering the quiet away from the crowds.

They can hear families behind them gasp as they wander farther away, but they just don’t care because suddenly they’re overcome with lightness and glee that is indicative of the holiday.

It’s Tyler and Josh against everyone else as they mercilessly launch snowballs at their friends now turned to playful opponents.

Michael downs both brawts in two bites and picks up two handfuls of snow in mustardy hands. Hayley launches a snowball at Josh, who dodges expertly, and consequently jumps in front of Tyler just as Jordan launches a snowball at him.

As the snowball breaks against Josh’s stomach, Tyler reaches over Josh’s shoulder and launches one right at Jordan’s shoulder. It hits him hard, causing him to gasp and yell dramatically.

“Yeah!” Josh cheers.

Their play is aggressive. Their bodies hurt where the snowballs hit them because none of them have the courtesy to rid their projectiles of hard pieces of ice or little rock's before they hurl them at high speed.

Josh acts as Tyler’s human shield as Tyler throws each snowball with surprising accuracy.

“You’re a hell of a shot, Ty,” Josh compliments as he punches a snowball flying at them out of the air.

Tyler throws another snowball and manages to hit Mark right in the face.

Josh laughs.

The opposing group huddles up as they hold their bruised shoulders and cold noses that are trickling faint drops of snot and blood. They whisper hurriedly, then, all in unison, gather up snow, pack it and then launch it at the exact same time.

Josh turns his back to the storm of flying snow and huddles over Tyler. The spirit laughs against his chest as he hears the _thum thum thum thum_  of snowballs hitting Josh’s back.

“STOP DOING THAT RIGHT NOW!”

Their game is out on hold as they're all suddenly looking up to see an older man who looks eerily similar to Santa racing out to them.

“GET OUT OF HERE!” the man who is surely the owner of the event yells at them.

Tyler’s hands hold Josh’s jacket as he laughs against his collarbone. Josh leans down and laughs against his neck. Their friends all throw their heads back and laugh at the exasperated grumbles of the disgruntled owner and the panting of the few security guards that are now chasing after him as backup, maybe even more slowly.

The snow in all their hands is dropped as Mark hurries out, “Scatter!” before running for himself randomly to the right.

The four in the field are all gone before Tyler and Josh can process it. Hayley and Michael go left. Jordan goes forward. Mark is long gone to the right. The trails they leave behind in the snow give them away but they’re much faster than authority could ever be.

Josh grabs Tyler’s hand and pulls him to the right as well toward a thin stretch of trees.

“C’mon!” he laughs loudly over the yells of the security guards to stop running.

They race through the snow till their lungs and throats and noses burn. They disappear through the few trees into a section of further snow-covered, open field, secluded and private. None of the noise of the festival reaches them here.

It's just them.

“Oh my God!” Josh laughs, still gasping for breath.

“Josh we gotta be quiet!”

“Why?”

“We’re hiding, aren't we?”

“Oh yeah.” Josh comes closer and pecks his lips hurriedly.

They're high on adrenaline and good times, the taste of cider and each other’s lips only making them more delirious.

“We gotta be quiet,” Tyler urges with a giggle breaking up the seriousness of his statement.

Josh nods seriously with an, ‘ _Oh, okay_ ,’ before pausing dramatically and then throwing his head back and with a smile on his face, yells to the stars as loud as he can, “Tyler is beautiful!”

“Shh!”

Tyler is hurrying forward, falling all over Josh’s front. They're both laughing and giggling, Tyler trying to clasp a hand over the punk’s loud mouth that will surely give them away.

“But I wanna tell the world,” Josh says as he cradles Tyler’s face in his cold hands. They giggle against each other’s lips.

“What is up with you?” Tyler gives a hushed laugh. “We’re gonna get in trouble!”

“Fuck trouble,” Josh says. “I get to spend one of the most beautiful nights of the entire year with the most beautiful being in all the world.”

Tyler blushes and looks away.

“God, you're amazing. I'm gonna yell again,” Josh says.

“What? Why?” Tyler snickers.

“‘Cause I'm so happy.”

“You better not.”

“I'm gonna.”

“Shut up, Josh, I'm serious!”

“Then why are you laughing?”

“‘Cause you're dumb!”

Just as Josh inhales deeply and goes to throw his head back again, Tyler tackles him.

Tyler’s not a strong guy, but they're both light with joy and Josh being off guard certainly helps him fall on his back, the spirit lying against his chest.

“You bastard,” Josh giggles.

All it takes is Tyler nipping Josh’s collarbone with a brief pinch of crooked teeth for Josh to roll them both over so his knees are bracketing Tyler’s hips, his arms on either side of his head.

They're both still panting with smiles on their faces, briefly unaware of their position. They slowly begin to gain their breath, laugher dying down.

Tyler blinks at Josh above him. Josh looks back, blue hair glowing with the warm, vibrant Christmas lights not too far away.

Strong arms bracket his head, a muscled body hovers just above him. Their position brings a deep blush to form across Tyler’s cheeks, the spirit blinking hard as he looks up at Josh.

The other man looks just as surprised as he does but Josh gathers his bearings in the warm silence they share so he can inch a little closer.

With a look of pure love, Josh leans down oh so carefully.

Their lips meet, warm enough to maybe melt the ice around them. It's soft and full of emotion, the tenderness robbing them of their breath.

Their lips part. They move on instinct. Josh gently sucks on the tip of Tyler’s tongue when it licks at his.

Tyler whimpers, pulling him closer. “Josh…”

The two men on the ground are suddenly in their own world. Against each other like this, they’re lost and nothing else matters.

They’ve been close before but not like this, with Tyler under Josh, Tyler’s jacket open, small bruise forming on Josh’s collarbone and Tyler’s shirt ridden up just enough to reveal a stretch of tan skin of his stomach.

Josh’s eyelids are heavy as he looks down at the spirit under him, no less than an inch away from him.

“Be my boyfriend, Tyler,” Josh whispers. “Let me be yours, if only you’d have me.”

Tyler can feel just how stupid his expression is. His mouth is agape, his eyes are wide. He’s blinking far too quickly as shock washes over him. That word sounds so much better when it’s Josh who’s saying it.

He's suddenly pulling Josh closer with freezing hands, palms on his cheeks and lips rambling.

“Yes, Joshua, yes, yes.” Tyler kisses him repeatedly, over and over, lips stuttering and frantic.

Josh smiles against his lips and wraps his arms around the spirit on the ground. He burrows his face against his neck, still laughing, still pressing kisses here and there.

They hold each other so tightly that the cold of the snow beneath them doesn’t bother them in the slightest.

“Stop right where you are!”

They both jump, Josh emerging from Tyler’s neck and Tyler holding Josh’s jacket tighter. They both turn to where two security guards stumble toward them through the trees.

They pair on the ground look back at each other.

“Oh shit,” Josh laughs close to him, “oh shit, baby, we gotta go.”

They stand, still falling all over each other in giddy excitement. They steal a few kisses from each other because they just can’t help it, not even when there are flashlights now on them and angry voices yelling at them to cooperate.

“Oh, come on!” Josh whines dramatically. “Can’t I just kiss my boyfriend a little more? It’s Christmas!

“Josh!” Tyler giggles against his neck. Josh’s arms wrap around his waist as he laughs into his hair.

“You’re trespassing! You’re being detained! The both of you!”

Josh is giggling like a madman. “Oh shit!”

The new couple kicks into gear and sprints from the security guards and back in the direction of the Christmas festival. Together the weave through the displays being ogled at by shocked families.

“Excuse us, excuse us!” they say as they slip past gasping families.

They run right through the entrance and into the parking lot, eyes scanning the many other parked cars for their new truck.

“Where’s the truck?” Josh says.

“Gone,” Tyler says as he points at the empty parking space the truck previously was.

Angry voices grow louder behind them. Just as the security guards and the owner run into the parking lot, a huge truck is speeding up and screeching to a rolling stop in front of them.

Mark throws open the back door to the truck. “C’mon!”

“Hey!” the men behind them say.

Tyler jumps into the truck first, Josh following closely after.

“Don’t come back!” they hear as Josh slams the door shut and the engine revs.

Hayley rolls down the passenger window. “Merry Christmas!”

And then they're off, rubber tearing against the asphalt as they haul ass out of there.

“You’re all on the fucking naughty list!” Michael yells at them. “You’ll be lucky if you get _anything_ tomorrow!”

They don’t care though, because they have all that they need right here. They laugh till their lungs hurt, till their eyes water. Michael speeds down the street and away from the shitshow that just happened.

“Can’t go anywhere with you guys without almost being arrested!” Michael shouts.

That fact only makes them laugh more.

Mark reaches over and turns up the radio as some punky Christmas music plays and Tyler didn't even know there was such a thing. They all start bopping in the seats, singing obnoxiously to what the display screen on the futuristic radio says is, ‘ _Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) - The Ramones.’_

Josh wraps his arms around Tyler. Tyler blushes as Josh kisses his temple, his cheek, the corner of his mouth, right on his lips.

“Warm?” Josh says.

Tyler nods because there is no place warmer than here in Josh’s arms. Tyler snuggles into his boyfriend’s shoulder.

 _Boyfriend_. His _actual_ boyfriend.

“Look! It’s officially Christmas!”

Mark points to the time displayed on the radio- _12:01_.

All of them ring out with their wishes of goodwill over the music, hugging each other and cheering as snow begins to fall again just outside once again.

It’s all so beautiful and magical and Tyler and Josh are holding tight to each other and staring at each other like the other is more breathtaking than the entire holiday and every other holiday to follow it.

“Merry Christmas, Tyler,” Josh whispers no more than an inch away from his lips.

“Merry Christmas, Josh,” Tyler whispers back.

They begin their Christmas Day with a kiss so tender and deep that they probably should be embarrassed but they just can’t summon shame.

It’s pure adoration as Josh sucks on Tyler’s bottom lip and holds the side of neck, pure awe as Tyler’s tongue flicks curiously against Josh’s to chase the heady taste of him.

The kiss they share as official boyfriends lights a warm light inside of them that shines brighter than Christmas lights ever could.

It’s all they could ever want.

And now they have each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Reindeer are real. Remember.


End file.
